Ives takes Illinois House District 42 over Johnson

State Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton has defeated newcomer Adam Johnson to retain her seat in the District 42 House Republican primary, according to preliminary reports from DuPage County.

Ives, currently a freshman in the Illinois House of Representatives, beat out Johnson, a property tax specialist in the DuPage County Clerk's office, by more than 3,400 votes, winning 62.95 percent to 37.05 percent in Tuesday's primary election.

"This is a victory for the taxpayers in District 42 and a positive affirmation of the job that I’m doing in standing up for taxpayers at every decision point down in Springfield," she said.

Ives has been an active member of the state legislature in her short time there. She has been named chief sponsor of 42 bills since August 2013, according to the Illinois General Assembly website, addressing issues such as term limits, reinforcing balanced budgets, worker organization rights, bill review periods and pension reform.

However, none of the bills she filed have been passed into law, which Johnson used against her during the campaign, saying "our district deserves a representative who will deliver visible results that benefit the families of our community in their day-to-day lives" at a candidate forum in February.

He also said Ives didn't sufficiently build coalitions during her time in the House.

Johnson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ives does not have a Democratic challenger in November's election, which she said "puts her in a strong position" to get more done in the House.

"I think people understand that District 42 wants a representative who will go down there and does what she says she's going to do," she said. "Whether they're teachers or business owners or owners of corporations, they all want someone to stand up for the taxpayers."